Doing Nitnem While Having A Morning Walk

[Hardip Singh]

With HIS blessings I am able to do my Nitnem of the Five banis by heart. Earlier, I used to do it at my residence while sitting in front of SGGS or some time in the bed room. But, some time back I started going for an early morning walk into the nearby park.

In order to utilise my time more efficiently, I started the practise of doing my Nitnem of the Five banis while I was doing the walk. One day, perchance my wife , who was also having the walk along me, notice me doing Path. She made strong objections to it and tried to reason and prove this method wrong by giving some points.

I failed to understand her reasoning. On one thing, our Gurbani is very much right on holding the point that ONE HAS TO DO SIMRAN while in full attention while sitting but is it holds same for reciting the Banis too??????

Will some of our esteemed learnered members clarify it? I will be highly obliged.

 

[spnadmin]

Hardip ji

I do sometimes the same thing. We have just had a mini-discussion in another thread about this. The SRM standardized Nit Nem -- so maybe a careful read will give you the answer.

The purpose of sitting - IMHO - is so that there is undivided attention. Also saying Bani out loud is harder if you are also walking for a period of time.

 

[Archived_Member16]

From a personal prospective, when you have Guru Granth Sahib Ji at home, Nitnem should always be done in front of Guru Ji. With total focus of the mind/soul & body , this serves both as sewa & simran !

I urge you to personally verify the above with an "experienced & enlightened soul", or review the biography of such souls.

To progress, move / merge into shakti vibrational state, one must have a daily fixed time & location at Amritwela & evening prayer / meditation !

With Divine Love & Blessings of Wahejuru Ji,

Harbhajan S. Sangha

 

[Archived_member7]

I have done naam simran in a better way whenever i am travelling in a vehicle rather than at home sitting. I have also wondered about this .

 

[spnadmin]

Khalsa ji

You have been discovered! At first it appeared that you were a new member with some questions -- fair and legitimate questions. Questions that would lead to members posting different points of view. That was not the case. We know who you are...

...it is not funny! Multiple identities are a violation of forum rules. aad0002

 

[Gyani Jarnail Singh]

Shame..and how can such "duality" characters do Nitnem?? its a wonder ?? talk about Focus..concentration..all hot air to fool ..who ?? Guru Ji knows all. Wasting everybodys time..pretending.:}--}::}--}::}--}:

 

[singhisking101]

Doing Path, weather you do it standing, sitting, walking, running, lying, jogging, swimming, driving etc. while have some effect on you. Remember this is bani directly from God. People who didn't believe in SGGS or understand it have been cured of terrible diseases just by listening to Gurbani. Remember
ਸੁਣਿਐ ਦੂਖ ਪਾਪ ਕਾ ਨਾਸੁ . Anyway, getting back to your question, it is perfectly okay to do path while walking, but the bani will have more of an effect on you if you sit down and concentrate on it.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa
Waheguru Ji Ke Fateh!

 

[Gyani Jarnail Singh]

Hardip ji

I do sometimes the same thing. We have just had a mini-discussion in another thread about this. The SRM standardized Nit Nem -- so maybe a careful read will give you the answer.

The purpose of sitting - IMHO - is so that there is undivided attention. Also saying Bani out loud is harder if you are also walking for a period of time.

AAD ji, Gurfateh.

The PURPOSE of Nitnem/naam japp/waheguru simran/path etc etc is TO SIT THE MANN !! Sitting the Physical Body is so easy....even my Dog sits still when is say SIT.
BUT...to SIT the MANN..that wild gallopping horse...is something so very very difficult to do...and thats where we all LOSE IT....becasue we pay attention to the BODY....

Its common knowledge that even when we are SLEEPING...the MANN is still gallopping wildly..across the Universe...thats why we DREAM...have Nightmares....have sweet dreams..we become KINGS....THE BODY IS DEAD TO THE WORLD....but still nothing religious/spiritual is happening...

Guru Arjun Ji sahib describes this dilemma perfectly. IN One beautiful shabd Guru Ji says...MY BELOVED came to me in my dream..while I was sleeping....OH why did I wake up...OH SLEEP please come and continue...so that I may contineu my dream meeting with my beloved one...Come oh Sleep COME...

IN another different shabad..Guru Ji says..My BELOVED Came to me when i was AWAKE...OH SLEEP..STAY AWAY FROM ME...I dotn want to sleep and be away from my beloved.

To the Uninitiated..Guru Ji seems CONTRADICTORY...first he wants to SLEEP forever...and then suddenly he wnants to be AWAKE forever ??? WHAT is WHAT..sleep or awake ?? BUT to the Gurmukh..its perfectly understandable..BECAUSE the shabads are NOT about sleeping/awakening...the CENTRAL THEME is MEETING THE BELOVED.
IF my beleoved coems in my sleep..I want to sleep and never wake up...IF He coems to me when i am awake...then I dotn want to ever go to sleep....
Another way..IF my beloeved lives in the Hottest DESERT..i want to stay in that desert...IF my beloved is in the Antartic sea...I want to live in the coldest ocean...

SO the Purpose of Naam japp is to SIT THE MANN. IF the MANN is roaming in far off regiosn away from the naam japping, the Gurbani..the Paath being doen, the Nitnem beign recited..its all a FARCE. Guru Gobind Singh Jis life has astory related to this.
Guru Ji had Four Guards. Whenever He slept the four guards were to stand guard. One day there was a Mela or Fun Fair in Town.The Guards wanted badly to go...but they also knew their duty..was to stand guard...and they were also well aware that once sleeping..Guru Ji took so many hours of rest. SO the moment Guru ji closed his eeys, two of the guards slipped away...thinking we will be back in no time..Guru ji wont even know we went. The other two stayed back..afraid of offending Guru ji. When the TWO returned... they found Guru Ji AWAKE. They thought Guru ji is going to scold them...and the other two were feeling very proud that they stayed on duty... BUT GURU JI went and patted the two who came from the Mela and was annoyed with the two that stayed behind !!! Then Guru Ji explained why ?? The Two who left..felt so guilty...their MANN was all the time in Guru Jis Feet...they didnt enjoy the mela at all..and hurried back. The Two who stayed behind...their MANN was in the MELA..they were missing...their friends were enjoying..while they missed all the fun. The FIRST TWO had their BODIES IN the mELA...but their Mann was in Guru jsi SERVICE. The other two were PHYSICALLY PRESENT in Guru jsi service..BUT their Mann was in the MELA. This si a valuable LESSON on HOW TO NAAM JAPPP....with YOUR MANN..not the BODY. THE BODY can be DRIVING a TRAIN.....piloting a Boeing 747...cooking daal in the Langgar...washing clothes....bathing...walking....even sleeping....BUT the MANN MUST BE IN RESONANCE WITH THE NAAM !!! That is the Message of SGGS in ALL 1429 pages.:idea::idea::idea::idea::idea:

 

[Hardip Singh]

Gyanni jee,
Perfactly said. But can we equate the Paath of the Banis with Naam Jup. Two are entirely different things. Paath is directing us towards Naam. My quarry was different. Whether we can do the Paath while walking or NOT? Pl guide.

 

[kiram]

AAD ji, Gurfateh.

The PURPOSE of Nitnem/naam japp/waheguru simran/path etc etc is TO SIT THE MANN !! Sitting the Physical Body is so easy....even my Dog sits still when is say SIT.
BUT...to SIT the MANN..that wild gallopping horse...is something so very very difficult to do...and thats where we all LOSE IT....becasue we pay attention to the BODY....

Its common knowledge that even when we are SLEEPING...the MANN is still gallopping wildly..across the Universe...thats why we DREAM...have Nightmares....have sweet dreams..we become KINGS....THE BODY IS DEAD TO THE WORLD....but still nothing religious/spiritual is happening...

Guru Arjun Ji sahib describes this dilemma perfectly. IN One beautiful shabd Guru Ji says...MY BELOVED came to me in my dream..while I was sleeping....OH why did I wake up...OH SLEEP please come and continue...so that I may contineu my dream meeting with my beloved one...Come oh Sleep COME...

IN another different shabad..Guru Ji says..My BELOVED Came to me when i was AWAKE...OH SLEEP..STAY AWAY FROM ME...I dotn want to sleep and be away from my beloved.

To the Uninitiated..Guru Ji seems CONTRADICTORY...first he wants to SLEEP forever...and then suddenly he wnants to be AWAKE forever ??? WHAT is WHAT..sleep or awake ?? BUT to the Gurmukh..its perfectly understandable..BECAUSE the shabads are NOT about sleeping/awakening...the CENTRAL THEME is MEETING THE BELOVED.
IF my beleoved coems in my sleep..I want to sleep and never wake up...IF He coems to me when i am awake...then I dotn want to ever go to sleep....
Another way..IF my beloeved lives in the Hottest DESERT..i want to stay in that desert...IF my beloved is in the Antartic sea...I want to live in the coldest ocean...

SO the Purpose of Naam japp is to SIT THE MANN. IF the MANN is roaming in far off regiosn away from the naam japping, the Gurbani..the Paath being doen, the Nitnem beign recited..its all a FARCE. Guru Gobind Singh Jis life has astory related to this.
Guru Ji had Four Guards. Whenever He slept the four guards were to stand guard. One day there was a Mela or Fun Fair in Town.The Guards wanted badly to go...but they also knew their duty..was to stand guard...and they were also well aware that once sleeping..Guru Ji took so many hours of rest. SO the moment Guru ji closed his eeys, two of the guards slipped away...thinking we will be back in no time..Guru ji wont even know we went. The other two stayed back..afraid of offending Guru ji. When the TWO returned... they found Guru Ji AWAKE. They thought Guru ji is going to scold them...and the other two were feeling very proud that they stayed on duty... BUT GURU JI went and patted the two who came from the Mela and was annoyed with the two that stayed behind !!! Then Guru Ji explained why ?? The Two who left..felt so guilty...their MANN was all the time in Guru Jis Feet...they didnt enjoy the mela at all..and hurried back. The Two who stayed behind...their MANN was in the MELA..they were missing...their friends were enjoying..while they missed all the fun. The FIRST TWO had their BODIES IN the mELA...but their Mann was in Guru jsi SERVICE. The other two were PHYSICALLY PRESENT in Guru jsi service..BUT their Mann was in the MELA. This si a valuable LESSON on HOW TO NAAM JAPPP....with YOUR MANN..not the BODY. THE BODY can be DRIVING a TRAIN.....piloting a Boeing 747...cooking daal in the Langgar...washing clothes....bathing...walking....even sleeping....BUT the MANN MUST BE IN RESONANCE WITH THE NAAM !!! That is the Message of SGGS in ALL 1429 pages.:idea::idea::idea::idea::idea:

Gyani Ji, thank you so much!! Just amazing and beautiful are Guru Ji's saakhis... So much to learn...

 

[Gyani Jarnail Singh]

Gyanni jee,
Perfactly said. But can we equate the Paath of the Banis with Naam Jup. Two are entirely different things. Paath is directing us towards Naam. My quarry was different. Whether we can do the Paath while walking or NOT? Pl guide.

Hardip Ji,
Gurfateh.

YES you can. I do it a lot. Instead of day dreaming in a long bus journey...i do paath of Jaap Sahib...or Japuji sahib..or Sukhmani sahib..Oankaar..sidh ghosht..alahnniah..anand sahib..any bani that comes to mind...
I do paath while bathing...while morning walk....while walking to Gurdwara..while doing gardening...while superviisng my workers....anybody can do it...

 

[Tejwant Singh]

Gyanni jee,
Perfactly said. But can we equate the Paath of the Banis with Naam Jup. Two are entirely different things. Paath is directing us towards Naam. My quarry was different. Whether we can do the Paath while walking or NOT? Pl guide.

Hardip Singh ji,

Guru Fateh.

I have no idea what you mean by, "But can we equate the Paath of the Banis with Naam Jup. Two are entirely different things. Paath is directing us towards Naam."

Doing Paath is a daily ritual subscribed in SRM. Understanding and learning the tools, hence putting them in our daily practice is the Paath subscribed in SGGS by our Gurus. The latter one is described in SGGS as Naamjap- Simran. The former is just doing Paath, like memorising- parroting as a daily ritual or a routine which becomes more mechanical than a thoughtful one. It depends on the individual how one is able to merge the two in a seamless manner so that through their understanding, the teachings of SGGS can become our second nature.

Allow me to share my routine. I walk 5.3 miles Monday to Friday and 7 miles Saturday and Sunday. The former takes me 1 hour and 30 mins and the latter about 2 hours. I do this at 4 am in the morning, the only time I can spare for this beautiful walk of life. I do my Nitnem first and then I choose one or 2 Pauris from Jap ji and try to analyse their meanings during the rest of my walk. I am doing the same on Anand Sahib now as I have finished the Japji, Shabad Hazare and Swaeeyeis. This makes the ritual of doing Nitnem from a meaningless ritual to a meaninful one . Once I have finished the Anand Sahib, I will start again with Japji.

Without understanding Gurbani, doing daily Paath is like parroting in my opinion provided we do not take advantage of building up a thought process by understanding it. And no more beautiful time to understand it than while taking a walk in solitude.


Regards

Tejwant Singh

 

[Hardip Singh]

Hardip Singh ji,

Guru Fateh.

I have no idea what you mean by, "But can we equate the Paath of the Banis with Naam Jup. Two are entirely different things. Paath is directing us towards Naam."

Respected Tejwant jee,

Refering the above lines, I meant exactly the same what you had answered in your reply. 'Paath' is sort of Commandments as issued by our reverened Gurus and we are supposed to apply those to better and improve upon our lives. This can be achived only by thoroughly analysing the text of the Bani and than applying those to our lives. That's what leads us to a better and the best way to Jup 'His Naam'.